Teenagers are to be trained to try and help others stay away from alcohol as borough chiefs attempt to clean-up Richmond’s image as London’s teen-booze capital.

The London Assembly’s health and public service committee published a report on underage drinking last week which revealed more 10 to 15-year-olds had got drunk in Richmond than in any other London borough.

Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park, expressed her concern at the news and Richmond Council has outlined its plan to keep under-18s off the drink.

One scheme is a follow-up of a community alcohol project on the Castelnau estate in Barnes, where members of the community are trained to give alcohol advice.

Councillor Liz Jaeger, the authority’s cabinet member for youth, said: “In future, teenagers will also be trained by the council and will also be able to give advice to their peers [on alcohol].

“The council is working hard to show young people there is an alternative to alcohol, but parents also have a part to play by ensuring their children do not have easy access to drink at home or at parties.”

The report, which was gathered last year, revealed the capital’s 11-15 year olds drink the equivalent of 180,000 bottles of lager every week.

In Richmond, 18 per cent of 10 to 15-year-olds admitted being drunk in the past month. No other borough had more than 15 per cent, and there were 55.4 alcohol related hospital admissions per 100,000 people under 18 between 2004/5 and 2006/7 - the eighth highes. There were eight alcohol-related arrests of 16 to 21-year-olds in 2007 - just six boroughs had fewer.

London Ambulance Service paramedic Brian Hayes said: “The level of drunkenness is getting out of control. Attending to young people who are simply drunk is costing our service in excess of £1.3 million a year.”

Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, called for an effective strategy to reduce harmful drinking among young people, as public services were increasingly under pressure to cope with the dramatic increase in young people, especially girls, being admitted to hospital for alcohol problems.

Ms Kramer said: “We have simply got to get the message out to young people and their parents that binge drinking is seriously damaging to health. It is really worrying that so many of our young people are drinking to excess at such a young age.

“As well as harming health, binge drinking has a negative impact on our local community, fuelling anti-social behaviour and disorder.”

Coun Jaeger said a comprehensive England-wide study of drinking habits showed that Richmond had a better than average record of young people being admitted to hospital for drink related reasons and activities were being put on by the authority to give alternatives to drinking.

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